which of the following statements best explains why direct democracy worked in ancient Athens? A the council controlled the work of the assembly.

Question

which of the following statements best explains why direct democracy worked in ancient Athens? A the council controlled the work of the assembly.

Answer 1

B. The small size of the city-state allowed for direct participation of citizens in decision-making.

Answer 2

To determine which of the following statements explains why direct democracy worked in ancient Athens, we need to carefully analyze the statement provided:

Statement: "The council controlled the work of the assembly."

To evaluate this statement, we need to understand the role and function of both the council and the assembly in ancient Athens.

In ancient Athens, the council, known as the Boule, was a legislative body composed of 500 citizens. Members of the council were chosen by lottery from among the eligible citizens. The council was responsible for proposing and drafting laws, managing financial matters, and overseeing the daily operations of the city-state.

On the other hand, the assembly, known as the Ecclesia, was a group of all eligible male citizens who gathered to debate and vote on important issues, such as passing laws, deciding on foreign policy, and electing officials. The assembly was the primary decision-making body of direct democracy in Athens.

Now, let's consider the statement: "The council controlled the work of the assembly."

This statement does not accurately capture the nature of direct democracy in ancient Athens. In a direct democratic system, power largely resided with the assembly of citizens, who were active participants in decision-making. The council, while important in proposing laws and managing affairs, did not control the work of the assembly. Instead, the assembly functioned independently, debating and reaching decisions through majority voting.

In ancient Athens, the assembly's autonomy was a key component of direct democracy. The ability of the citizens to have a direct say in matters of legislation and policy was a fundamental aspect that distinguished Athenian democracy.

Therefore, the statement provided does not explain why direct democracy worked in ancient Athens.

Answer 3

The statement "the council controlled the work of the assembly" does not accurately explain why direct democracy worked in ancient Athens. In fact, it is the opposite of how direct democracy functioned in Athens. In ancient Athens, direct democracy was successful primarily because all eligible citizens had the opportunity to directly participate in the decision-making process through the assembly. The assembly allowed citizens to debate and vote on issues themselves, without the need for intermediaries or representatives. The council (known as the Boule) in Athens was responsible for preparing and organizing the topics to be discussed in the assembly, but it did not control or determine the decisions made by the assembly.